🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <42fs2o$34r@fountain.mindlink.net>, Fred_Jorgensen@mindlink.bc.ca (Fred Jorgensen) writes:
|> snip
|> >>: |> seem fair to say the 100% is returned to the public. The individual player
|> >>: |> might only see 50%, but hte public at large sees 100% (give or take a tiny
|> >>: |> bit).
|> 
|> >>Why is he being optimistic? What he said is true. Even if you think 
|> >>governments waste money, the money still goes somewhere--it is not as >>if
|> >>the money is being burned or sent to a bank account in the Cayman Islands.
|> >>Can you explain your reasoning?
|> ...
|> There is a deep and enduring fallacy that if the government runs a business
|> money circulates among "us", while private business takes it and runs
|> somewhere "else". If this were true we should let government run grocery stores
|> and airlines...less wasted advertising and duplication...
|> Invariably, as has been proved wherever it is tried, government business becomes
|> a bureacratic, inefficient entity onto itself. Lotteries can be run efficiently with less
|> administration, and package products more suited to the customers (more smaller
|> prizes for example, if that is what people want). Only free competition can adapt to the
|> continuously changing marketplace. 
|> Governments are accountable to everyone in general and no-one in particular.
|> 
|

I've been away for the Labor Day weekend, so I haven't had a chance to 
respond to this thread in a more timely manner.  
I think this response by Fred, and a more 
cynical response from Bogey, I think it was, wrap up my thoughts 
pretty well.

I would add that I have just spent 9 years in Louisiana, and I
have to believe that the politics there probably make politics
elsewhere look like a Mother Theresa's Ophanage.  In Louisiana
they were going to use the proceeds from the lottory to improve
education and police, but lo and behold they have just had to 
raise taxes again in New Orleans just to maintain their status
of one of the poorest performers in terms of educating
their children.  In short I don't think too many people in
Louisiana can claim to have seen any real positive results
from the lottory, excluding politicians and winners of the
jackpots of course.  I also have relatives in Kentucky who
make the same claims.

I realize that the above is anecdotal, but I haven't seen
any studies on this.  Has anyone else?

Greg Schorr